Hinge.



W. H. FROMHART.

HINGE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 18. 1910.

Patented Nov. 29, 1910.

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UNITED STATEb wrLLIAiu H. rinomrmn'r, or GOLDEN, COLORADO.

HINGE. I

arc es.

new and useful Improvements in Hinges;

and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tornake and use thesame.

This invention relates to improvements in hinges and more particularly to hinges for pivotally connecting'the end gate and sides of a wagon box.

One object of the invention is toimprove the construction of hinge shown in United States Patent No. 907,768,"granted to me December 29, 1908, whereby a more eflicient and reliable fastening is provided for the locking memberof the hinge. 1

Another object is to provide a hinge which may also serve'as a brace when used on the side of a wagon body.

With the foregoing and other objects in View, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

In the ac ompanyingdrawings: Figure l is an end view of awagon box showing the hinge applied to the end gate and sides thereof; Fig. 2 is a side view of a portion of the wagon box showing -more clearly the application of theside hinges of the box;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the end gate hinges; Fig. t-is a vertical section through the end gate and a portion of the bottom of the wagon showing the end gate; partly open and supported by my improved; hinges; Fig. 5 is a similar view through the side of the wagon body showing the manner in which the upper portion of the side of the wagon is swung down and supported in an inclined position by the hinge.- Fig.- 6 is an enlarged detail sectional view through the lower end of the upper memberof the hinge and the adjacent portion of the lower member, showing the manner in which the upper member is held in its adjusted positions; and, Fig. 7 is a detail-perspective view of the pawl operating spring of the hinge.

I Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 denotes a portion of a wagon box to which my improved hinges are applied.

- Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed July 18.

Patented Nov. 29, 1910. 1910. Serial No. 572,547.

The Wagon box comprises upper and lower side pieces 2 and 3, and an end gate 4, said end gate and upper side piece being hingedlyconnected to the wagon body by my improved hinge.

The-form of hinge employed for connecting the end gate to the wagon body and for supporting the same in an open or partly open position comprises a wagon body memher 5 which is in the form of a bracket which is bolted or otherwise securely fastened to the under side of the bottom of the wagon and is provided with parallel downwardly curved apertured bearing lugs 6 between which is pivotally' mounted the end gate engaging or movable member of the hinge.

The movable member comprises a bar 7 which is adapted to be bolted or otherwise fastened to the outer side of the end gate and which has formed on its inner enda substantially circular ratchet head 8'in the outer edge of which is formed a series of ratchet openings 9 with which is adapted to be engaged a hook shaped retainingpawl 10, the inner end of Which is pivotally mounted between theinner portion of the bearing lugs 6 by a suitable pivot bolt- 11.

The pawls 10 of the series of hinges arnected together by a releasing bar 12 by means of which the pawls for the entire series of end gate hinges may be simultaneousl released or disengaged from the rate et notches in the :heads of the gate members of the hinge thereby permitting said members and the fgate to be swung down to the desired position after which the pawls will be engaged with other notches thus holding the gate in its adjusted position. In order to hold the pawls up in yielding engagement with the notches 9 I provide coiled springs 13 which are preferably arranged on thepivot bolts of the pawls and have one end engaged with the rear portion of the bracket members of the hinge and the other end engaged with the pawl releasing bar. whereby the pressure of the spring is applied to said bar and through the same to the pawls to hold the same up in operative position. I

The form of the hinge em loyed'on the sides of the wagon for hinge 1y connecting the upper portion of the sides to the lower portion consists of an up er side engaging member 14 which is belts or otherwise seranged on the end gate are operatively concured to the upper side of the wagon body and which is provided with a ratchet head 15 constructed in the same manner as the head 8 of the end ate hinge. The station ary member of the inge which corresponds to the bracket member 5 of theend gate hinge comprises a brace bar which is preferably the form of a T iron-bar which extends entirely across the 'width of the lower sidepiece 2 and is bolted or otherwise fasv are formed parallel'apertured bearin lugs 18 which correspond to the bearing ugs 6 on the bracket 5 of the end gate hinge and between said lugs is pivotally mounted the lower end of the hinge-member 14. Between the lugs 18' are also pivotally mounted the .pawls 19 of this .form of the hinge and through saidpawls is arranged the operating bar 20 'by means of which the pawls of the 'several' side hinges are simultaneously released in the same manner as described in connection with the .end gate hinges. The

awls 19 are provided with coiled springs 21 or holding the same in o erative engagement with the ratchet end 0 the upper member of the hinges, said springs being arranged in the same manner as the springs 13 of the end gate hinge. One or both ends of the pawl re easing bars may extend a suitable distance beyond the end hinge of the end gate and side of the wa n and may be bent or provided with suitable handles for operating the same.

Bymeans of a hlnge constructed as herein 1 described it will be seen that the upper portion of the sides and the end gate of the ciple'or sacrificing any of the. advantages of i the invention as defined in claim. I v I Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

In a wagon box hin e,'a stationary member comprlsing a brac 'et adapted to be secured toa fixed part of the wagon, sill engaging flanges formed on the lower end of said stationary member whereby the -latter is adapted to form a brace, 'a-pair of pivot the appended lugs formed on the upper end of said stationa member, a movable. hinge member pivota ly mounted'between said i'vot lugs, said hin e member having forme therein a series. 0 ratchet notches, a pawL-pivotally mounted in said pivot lugs, an operating bar extending transversely through the pawl whereby to connect a series of the pawls for simultaneous operation and a spring fastened to said-stationary member and engagin said operatin bar.

in .testimony w ereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

j WILLIAM H. FROMHART.

Witnesses: I

ARTHUR C. LEKE, v CHABLEBG. CLEAR, 

